‘Fast’ still tops at foreign box office

Universal pic dominates overseas markets

“Fast and Furious” drove to its second straight victory at the foreign box office, dominating the weekend with $36 million at 5,076 playdates in 59 markets.

Uni’s actioner posted the second biggest weekend of any pic in 2009, trailing only its $45 million take in the previous frame. “Fast and Furious” has now cumed $145 million internationally, topping the domestic total by over $8 million.

“Fast” blew past rivals with a $5.7 million Australian launch with a 51% share, representing U’s best opening day in that market, the biggest 2009 launch and the highest April debut in Oz. Italy opened impressively with $4.2 million while the U.K. soph sesh slid 58% to $3 million for a $15.3 million Brit cume and the third German frame was off 47% to $1.8 million.

Par’s “Monsters Vs Aliens” remained the only other pic with serious potency in foreign markets with $20 million at 7,058 in 58 territories, all from holdovers. Foreign cume has hit $126 million, trailing the domestic take by $36 million.

The U.K. led the way with $3.3 million, down only 19% in its third frame with 3D screens taking in an average of $9,000 — three times better than conventional venues. French biz rose 34% to $2.7 million while Australian takings jumped 12% to $2.3 million and German grosses soared 71% to $1.8 million

“Knowing” led the rest of the pack with $8.4 million at 3,685 playdates in 31 markets, led by a $2.2 million South Korean launch. Foreign cume has hit

$54.5 million.

Domestic leader “17 Again” showed decent foreign traction with $6 million at 819 in nine markets, mostly from soph sesh biz in the U.K with $3 million and Australia with $1.7 million. The comedy’s cumed $18.7 million in foreign coin.

Uni’s newspaper thriller “State of Play” went day and date with $2 million at 375 in just three markets with $1.7 million coming from Spain. The Russell Crowe vehicle opens next weekend in the U.K., where the TV series of the same name originated.

Disney’s “Race to Witch Mountain” attracted family biz with $5.5 million at 2,426 in 27 markets, led by a $1.8 million Spanish launch that edged “State of Play.” “Race,” still early in its foreign run, has cumed $24.3 million outside the United States or $39 million behind the domestic total.

Fox’s “Dragonball: Evolution” battled its way to $3.8 million at 3,500 in 40 markets for a foreign cume of $44 million — more than five times the two-week U.S. total of $7.8 million.

U’s Brit comedy “The Boat that Rocked” also took in $3.8 million at 1,635 in a dozen markets for a $12.8 million international cume. Warner’s “Gran Torino” added $3.4 million at 2,100 in 49 territories for a foreign cume of $94.1 million.

Par’s “I Love You Man” opened in its first overseas markets with $1.9 million in the U.K. and the Ukraine while Disney opened “Hannah Montana The Movie” in Poland with $385,000 in its first foreign launch. The teenpic will go into major markets including Italy, Mexico, Scandinavia and the UK on May 1 as a counterprogrammer to Fox’s day and date launch of “X-Men Origins: Wolverine.”